read the words on the wall written in big bold capital letters. “NO REFUND”. The words hit me like I had been
punched in the stomach, leaving a sick nauseous feeling. It was the first thing I saw as I
entered the massage parlor. The
next thing my eyes met were ten beautiful smiling faces of the women who worked
there. They were sitting in what
can only be described as a pin or corral in front of a large mirror that
spanned the wall behind them. We
walked in and almost instantly had ten new friends. We sat for the next half hour or so talking, laughing,
sharing, just being. We talked
about the things we liked and enjoyed, our dreams, hopes, and desires. We learned names and asked about where
they were from, as most of the girls were trafficked here from somewhere else
in the country.
Then the sobering reality hit me as
four customers ready to consume the product they wanted to buy walked up the
stairs. How could this be? These girls are just like me. They in one moment were talking about
their desires to become nurses, singers, restaurant managers, to go back to
school and in the next were an object to be bought and sold with no
refund. The men’s eyes met the
fierceness in ours and they quickly turned around as embarrassment came over
their faces. I quickly put it out
of my mind because I had more laughing, smiling, and encouraging to do. I knew this was just the
beginning. This encounter was the
first of many clubs we have visited where hundreds of women are in this
destructive situation.
It has now been over a week since
my first experience in the clubs and I now know much more than I ever thought I
would. I now know that one girl was
FAR younger than the required age of 18 when she was brought to Manila to be a
“waitress” then forced to dance and sleep with men. Her own cousin lied to her and sold her to a recruiter. I now know that there are countless
girls who are just trying to support their parents or to pay tuition to go to
school. I now know the girl who
was orphaned and has to take care of her little brother. She feels hopeless, like she has
no other option. I now know that
girl after girl gets drunk night after night so the horror of what they have to
do becomes numb. I can hear her
voice telling me, “I just get very drunk. Its just easier that way.” I can hear the words echoing in my
head, “No one wants to be here. We
all want to get out and go somewhere else. Anything but this.” I have seen the bruises. I have seen the tears. I have seen the emptiness in their eyes
as they try to escape to somewhere else in their minds while they dance exposed
in front of the men who want to consume their flesh. I have seen the men, many of whom are Americans on
“business” trips with wedding rings on their hands, being consumed by a sick addiction
that never fulfills but leaves a lust for more. I have seen the desperation for something to rescue these
women from the nightmare they live.
My heart is beyond broken, it is
crying out for these amazing women, for the injustice that they have been
subject to. I want them to know
that they are loved by God, that He has great plans for their lives. I want them to know that they are God’s
workmanship. That His heart BREAKS
for them. That He wants to heal
and redeem them. I want to
apologize for the millions of people who know this occurs and sit back and do
nothing. I want to apologize for
our apathy towards human trafficking.
These women are not statistics, they are daughters, friends, sisters,
and mothers. They are people who
deserve better than being used, abused, then thrown aside for the next person
to do the same. When will it
stop? When will someone reach out
and pick them up off the floor, extend a hand of unconditional love that
doesn’t expect anything in return.
We are not here to tell them to repent of their sins or judge their
lives. We are here to bring hope.
We are here to LOVE. We are
here to extend a hand, cry with them, pray for them, let them know they have a
future. We share with them joy and
peace, even for just a moment. We are
being used by God to be light shining one of the darkest places I have ever
seen.
God’s favor and protection over us
is amazing here. We are partnered
with the health department, so we are welcomed by club managers when we do
night outreach. The management has
to comply and it allows us full access to form relationships and share Gods
love with these girls. We
are invited into the girls’ inner sanctuary, we are allowed in their dressing
rooms and preparation areas. We
laugh and talk with them as they do their hair and make up. They know we are not here to use them,
just to get to know their hearts. We
have come to know so many of these girls by name and see them on a regular
basis.
So what do you do when a situation
feels so overwhelming? You go
after the one. You reach one
heart, comfort one girl, one at a time.
You offer a smile, a shoulder to cry on, and YOU PRAY. I trust that God is here. I see him working, moving, healing, and
restoring. You FIGHT LIKE THE
WARRIORS GOD CALLED US TO BE interceding for His children. You pray that God would reveal the path
to get out and make it clear. You
pray that healing and restoration would come into the deepest places of their
hearts. You pray that miracles
would happen in this city and in the hearts of many. You pray that club owners and managers would be reached for
the Lord. You pray for the
protection of their minds, bodies, and hearts. You pray for the men to see what they are doing for what it
really is. YOU JUST PRAY WITH ALL
YOU HAVE and TRUST that God will do the rest. I’m not talking about nice little Sunday school prayers, but
the ones that come from righteous anger that springs forth from injustice. So I will ask you this… WILL YOU JOIN
ME? Make a difference. Don’t sit idly back and let this
happen. Pray for the women and men
affected by trafficking. Ask God
how He wants you involved. I trust
God and I trust He will give you the answers.
SUPPORT UPDATE:
I am $4,800 away from being fully funded. I need to raise this amount to stay on the Race. If you feel led to donate financial
support so I can continue to reach people all over this world, please donate by
clicking on the support me button on the left side of your screen!!!
